Doom VFR Review: Motion Controls Deliver Fast Fights Despite Trimming the Campaign

Doom VFR drops players into the middle of a war between Heaven and Hell, and it mostly works. This PSVR and Steam VR spin on the classic shooter asks players to fight demons using motion controls instead of a standard controller. The result is a game that feels different from the original, stranger in some ways, and still satisfying in others.

Trailer, via IGDBcom.

Motion Controls as the Core

The biggest change here is how you move. Instead of pressing buttons to aim and fire, you point your hands at the screen and turn your head to look around. That sounds simple, but it changes how you approach a fight. You can’t just hold a button and sweep across a room; you have to point directly at a demon to hit it.

It takes time to get used to. Players who have spent years aiming with a thumbstick will find themselves reaching out to grab a gun that isn’t there. Once the motion control system clicks, though, fights feel faster and more direct. You’re looking where you want to shoot, and that matters in a game full of fast demons. The sensation of aiming with your hands rather than a controller alters the rhythm of combat, and the game rewards players who learn to trust their instincts rather than their thumbs.

The World Around You

The levels carry over from the main game, but they’re built for a headset instead of a TV. That means corridors are narrower, and the scale feels closer. Demons fill the space around you, and the game uses height and depth to keep fights interesting. You’ll climb stairs, crawl through vents, and drop down chasms while fighting waves of enemies.

The presentation holds up well. Light and shadow make each area distinct, and the game does a good job of keeping the player oriented even when the view shifts quickly. It’s a technical achievement that deserves credit, since VR shooters often struggle with motion sickness or disorientation. The game manages to maintain a sense of place even as you twist and duck through tight spaces, which helps keep the action readable despite the narrow corridors.

What’s Missing From the Original

Doom VFR doesn’t include the full campaign from the main game. Instead, it offers a smaller set of missions that cover familiar ground but leave out some of the story beats. That’s a fair trade for a VR version, but it means longtime fans won’t get everything they remember from the original release.

The game also trims some of the variety found in the main campaign. Some weapon types are gone, and the difficulty curve relies more on quick reactions than deep tactics. It’s still a demanding shooter, but it’s less about planning and more about reacting. The focus on quick reactions makes the game feel distinct from the main campaign, where careful planning often mattered just as much as quick reflexes.

Comparing Two Ways to Play

That table shows the clear difference between the two versions. One is about motion and reaction; the other is about planning and timing. Both are valid ways to play, but they serve different purposes.

Final Verdict

Doom VFR succeeds because it commits fully to VR. It doesn’t try to be a scaled-down version of the main game; it builds a shooter around the strengths of motion controls. The fights are fast, the world is detailed, and the motion control system becomes natural after a session or two.

It’s not perfect. The trimmed campaign and the loss of some weapon variety mean it won’t satisfy everyone. But for players who own a VR headset and want a shooter that uses it well, Doom VFR delivers. The game is a solid entry in the genre, and it shows what motion controls can do when they’re built from the start.

Key Facts Box
– Platforms: PSVR, Steam VR
– Genre: Shooter
– Control scheme: Motion controls, head tracking
– Score: 7.5 of 10

Doom VFR · game review · PSVR · Steam VR · VR gaming